A German minister of education has expressed her condolences and concern following a shooting in Graz, Austria, that left ten people dead. Karin Prien, the German minister, stated that she has reached out to her Austrian counterpart, emphasizing the need for the government to focus on the victims and their families in this difficult time.
The minister also highlighted the importance of schools as safe spaces for millions of children and young people, not just as places of learning, but also as social hubs. She emphasized the need to pay attention to the mental health and well-being of students, asking how they cope with challenging situations at school, at home and in their social circles.
Prien further stated that the federal government is supporting the states in promoting mental health education in schools and that every individual can make a difference by being aware of the problems faced by children and young people and by using the available counseling services.
Meanwhile, the German Green party has called for a tightening of gun laws in the country, following the shooting in Graz. Marcel Emmerich, the party’s parliamentary group’s interior policy spokesperson, said that those who want to protect human life must strictly regulate legal weapons. He emphasized the need for psychological assessments, more effective controls, better staffing of weapon authorities, faster disarming of extremists and a more realistic depiction of gun violence.
Emmerich criticized the federal government, saying that while the number of weapons is increasing and the disarming of extremists is proceeding slowly, the government and the opposition are working to relax gun laws. The shooting in Graz, which left ten people dead, has sparked a debate on gun control in Germany.